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Friday, October 25, 2013

Final Departure For Robert LeMassena

Robert LeMassena photo by Matt Isaacks

Robert LeMassena died on October 1st, 2013, 311 days before his 100th birthday. His published works preserving the history of Colorado's railroads and in particular the Rio Grande forms the cornerstone on which much of my work is based. My library card has a permanent groove in it from repeated loans of Colorado's Mountain Railroads and Rio Grande: To the Pacific!, two of his Sundance books that command top dollar at train shows and book retailers. It's unfortunate that I never had the opportunity to convey my appreciation of his work while he was still with us.

Bob left us a great deal of his amassed knowledge through his books - the most notable to most Rio Grande fans being "Rio Grande... to the Pacific!" RGTTP is an invaluable piece of work, and is still my go-to reference for the Grande's often convoluted historical timeline.

Trains magazine also presented an obituary in its news wire, noting his 35 bylines and numerous stories for the magazine dating from 1963. His lifelong passion for railroads led to many stories, op-ed pieces and industry articles, with much of his work centered on steam locomotive design and operation, which was a natural considering his bachelors degree in mechanical engineering.

Colorado and railroad historians have lost a true "steam buff" in Robert LeMassena. From the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western yard in East Orange, New Jersey in his youth to the high mountain passes and thundering articulated locomotives in the Colorado high country and beyond, his long life was spent in the pursuit of his passion for railroads and the engines that powered them. Few were so lucky as he in this regard. I wish him Godspeed on his final departure.◊

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Welcome to Colorado Railroads, a site for the fans of past and present railroads serving the people of the Centennial State. Its editor is a fifth-generation Colorado native, whose fascination with trains started at age 5 in Durango with the smell of creosote, sweat, steam, and coal smoke, the sight of a headlight and smokestack down the tracks, and the sound of an engine whistle echoing off canyon walls. The question isn't "What's so fascinating about Colorado's railroads?" It's "How could anyone not be captivated by such a beautiful and rich experience?" more